Nothing Else Matters
by Suzu-chan
Summary: Hisoka POV. When Muraki decides to take his murderous agenda outside of Japan, Tsuzuki and Hisoka are sent out to find him. They enlist the help of America's JuOhCho. Can the two Shinigami finally bring down Muraki?
1. Prologue

This is my first Yami no Matsuei fanfic. I don't own the characters, except for the ones in America's JuOhCho. It's strictly a Hisoka POV and it's based mainly on the Anime.   
  
Nothing Else Matters  
  
Prologue  
  
I can't see.  
  
I can't move.  
  
I think I'm lying on my back. I keep trying to move my limbs but nothing happens. Why can't I move?  
  
I can't breathe either. I try to gulp in some breaths but it seems futile. Wherever I am, there seems to be no air.  
  
I'm vulnerable. I'm alone.  
  
A haunting face flooded my vision, scaring me. Not just because I wasn't expecting it. But because of the keeper of that evil face.  
  
Muraki.   
  
"I'm going far away," he told me, his sinister face twisting with a mocking grin. "You won't find me, bouya."  
  
Going far away? I won't find him? Like hell I won't!!  
  
"And the best part is, I can go about my business as I do so please. I can't see Tsuzuki-san for a long time, but I'll still be around."  
  
I feel rage flood through me. I try to move again, desperate to seek my hands around that neck...  
  
But I can't move. I'm helpless; completely at his will.  
  
His full body floods my vision now. He brushes aside a few strands of hair before smiling at me scornfully.  
  
"Ja ne, bouya." He makes a slow turn and walked away. And as quickly as he appeared he was gone.  
  
I try to move again, but I can't. He was getting away!! He was so close and I let him walk away!!  
  
No, I can't let him go. He said he was going away, where we couldn't find him. What the hell was he talking about?! I just want to stop him!!  
  
I just want to wake up.  
  
---   
  
My eyes slowly slid open. I felt a slight sting in both of them that puzzled me. When I felt wetness glide down my face I realized I was crying. I scrubbed at my face, angry with myself for having such a dream.  
  
Then again, I can never escape Muraki or that night. I can't escape the nightmares of him raping me.  
  
I can't escape from seeing what he did to Tsuzuki.  
  
I shivered, hugging myself. Not that my room was cold or anything. Whenever I see Muraki, dream or real, he always leaves this cold chill with me. He makes me feel helpless and vulnerable.  
  
I hate him so much.  
  
I slowly stand up out of bed. Out of all the nightmares I've had, this one freaked me out the most. I do want to dream of Muraki going away to dispel those nightmares I keep having. But not in the have portrayed in the dream. The way I want him to go away is by dying; not by walking away to spread his terror elsewhere.  
  
I eyed the phone on my stand. I could call him and talk to him about this. Him, of course meaning Tsuzuki. I consider this thought and I reached for my phone.  
  
My self-doubt reared its ugly head.  
  
What the hell are you doing?! it spoke to me in that whiny voice. Why are you going to give him more traumas than he deserves?!  
  
My hand stops.   
  
He's almost completely recovered from that damn Kyoto incident and you're going to drop THIS on his shoulders?!  
  
"It's just a dream," I murmured unconsciously.  
  
Well DUH!!!! But you know how Tsuzuki takes to things!! He's so stupid he'll think it's a sign or something!! You've seen what's happened to him!! Are you going to spoil all that emotional dedication that everyone, mainly you, had put into making him well?!  
  
I closed my eyes. I really did want to call Tsuzuki.  
  
And have you look at the clock?! that voice goes on. It's quarter to two!! He either won't answer the phone or when he does he'll be too tired to give two-shits!!  
  
I felt angry now. Tsuzuki wasn't that shallow. If I needed help he wouldn't ignore me so he could get some sleep.  
  
Then again, he did go through a lot. He has enough grief of his own to worry about. He doesn't need mine.  
  
That voice finally shut up as I headed back to bed. At that moment I really hated myself.  
  
---  
  
I rubbed at my eyes as I entered the office that morning. Everyone was going about his or her own business. I go right for the coffee despite not being a coffee drinker. I didn't get anymore sleep after that nightmare and I felt like shit. I needed energy for when we got a case.  
  
I started gulping it down and nearly retched it back up. It tasted horrible!!  
  
"Maybe you should try adding sugar next time," said a voice behind me matter-of-factly.  
  
I turned around. Tatsumi stood there with a file tucked underneath his arm and a cup of coffee in his hand. As busy as ever.  
  
He looked me over and his expression became serious. "I think you should step into my office."  
  
I shrugged and looked around the room. Thankfully Yuma and Saya had an assignment and couldn't bother with those ridiculous dresses and hair ribbons.   
  
I didn't see Tsuzuki though.  
  
Tatsumi answered my unspoken question. "Tsuzuki-san is seeing Kachou at the moment."  
  
I nodded, my throat feeling dry. Even though I didn't do it last night I really did want to talk to Tsuzuki about my dream.  
  
"Let's go to my office," said Tatsumi, sort of reminding me that he wanted to talk to me privately. So I followed him, not really worried about what he had to say. He couldn't fire me over looking like shit; I was on time today.  
  
He sat down behind his desk. "You look like hell, Kurosaki-kun. If you don't mind my saying so."  
  
I shook my head. "I didn't get enough sleep. Only about two hours."  
  
Tatsumi raised an eyebrow. "Any reason why you couldn't get an efficient amount of sleep?"  
  
I felt a headache coming on. I had been planning on telling Tatsumi about my nightmare but after I told Tsuzuki. But I could tell by the expression on his face that he won't let me go with an 'I'm fine.'  
  
So I told him. It hadn't been a long nightmare so I kept it brief. He listened attentively, his expression never faltering. After I finished I hoped he would give me some advice about this.  
  
Instead he flat-out asked me, "Why didn't you contact Tsuzuki-san when this happened?"  
  
"He already has enough grief without me adding on to it," I said, hating myself for echoing the words my self-doubt told me.  
  
Tatsumi shook his head. "Even with all the grief, Tsuzuki-san would try anything to help you out."  
  
"How did you know I didn't contact him?"  
  
"The fact that you got no sleep after having the nightmare. I'm sure if you had talked to Tsuzuki-san you'd be more alert."  
  
I nodded, cursing myself for even doubting Tsuzuki's support.  
  
"You may go," said Tatsumi, starting to flip through his file. "As far as I know you don't have an assignment. Speak to Kachou about letting you go home for the day. Tell him I recommended it."  
  
"Arigato," I murmured. I started towards the door.  
  
"And Kurosaki-kun?" said Tatsumi without looking up.  
  
I turned back around. "Yes?"  
  
"Heed my advice. And it's not just so you can get more sleep. Tsuzuki-san is an excellent listener. He's not very open as you know, but he is willing to listen to other people's problems."  
  
I nodded to him before leaving. He didn't need to tell me it. I already knew it.  
  
---  
  
I talked to Kachou, even though I really didn't want to go home. I wanted to talk to Tsuzuki. I didn't really know why I wanted to talk to him so badly. Maybe because I hadn't seen him all day?  
  
Kachou gave me the 'okay' to go home, much to my disappointment. Then again, even though I was sent home didn't mean I had to go right away.  
  
Luckily for me Tsuzuki is waiting for me outside Kachou's office. I think Tatsumi told him to wait for me.  
  
"Ohayo, Hisoka!!" he greeted with his usual cheerfulness. He always acted cheerful, though most of the time it was faked. Even as an empath I can't really tell the difference.  
  
"Ohayo," I responded. It was then I noticed I just didn't look like shit; I sounded like shit.  
  
Tsuzuki drew a worried expression. "Tatsumi told me he sent you home because you looked terrible. Not to be mean but you do."  
  
"I only got two hours of sleep," I told him, starting to walk down the hallway.  
  
Tsuzuki followed me. "Why?"  
  
I stopped. Tsuzuki was always this nosy but I could tell he was worried about me. "I had a nightmare."  
  
Tsuzuki stopped. "Was it about Muraki?"  
  
I slowly nodded.  
  
He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. I feel his worried concern flood into me but it doesn't hurt like his guilt or anger did in the past. "You could've called me."  
  
Why was everyone telling me something I already knew?! "Sorry."  
  
Tsuzuki sighed. "I talked to Kachou, but it wasn't for an assignment. He told us to steer clear of cases similar to Muraki's style for a while. He also told me to take you home. You can tell me about your nightmare when we get there."  
  
I nodded. I felt guilty that I hadn't contacted him. But since he was completely awake I'm sure now that he can deal with it better.  
  
I started walking again and he followed me. It was always a comfort being in his presence. Then again, he was the first person to ever understand me. I ever TRY to understand me. He was my first real friend. He helped me to care, even when I didn't want to.  
  
I continued to walk with him. My thoughts are drifting off and though tired I feel relaxed...  
  
"I'm going far away."  
  
I gasped and clutched my head. The nightmare was replaying itself in my head.  
  
"You won't find me, bouya."  
  
I hear Tsuzuki asking if I'm all right, but it sounds so far away...  
  
"And the best part is, I can go about my business as I do so please."   
  
I think I'm falling. My legs aren't steadying me...  
  
"I can't see Tsuzuki-san for a long time, but I'll still be around."  
  
Tsuzuki. He caught me before I feel to the floor.  
  
"Ja ne, bouya."  
  
Finally, the nightmare fades. I'm sitting in the hallway.   
  
"Daijobu?!" asked Tsuzuki, helping me steady.  
  
I tried to nod but I couldn't. That wasn't normal. My nightmares had never done that to me before. At least, visions created by my own mind hadn't done that to me before. Which of course means one thing.   
  
I didn't create the nightmare. Muraki did. This means he plotting something. And we're not included in the equation. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Okay, in normal standards not having a case can be considered a good thing. Not having a case means a lot of things of course:  
  
1. People are actually dying at a normal pace and people who are supposed it live aren't dying, and people that are supposed to die aren't living.  
  
2. There isn't any magical phenomenon going on (at least none that we can detect).  
  
3. Muraki has finally croaked or is too bored to kill people.  
  
Of course, it's impossible for number 3 to happen because Muraki is known for killing people out of boredom!!  
  
Anyways, there hasn't really been a case for Tsuzuki and me. This makes him more than thrilled, and Tatsumi more than pissed off. Why, you ask? Well, considering that Tsuzuki has ordered out food for the past several days (I won't even go into the desserts), I can understand how Tatsumi feels. And there ain't a damn thing he can do about it because every time he yells at Tsuzuki, Tsuzuki turns on the waterworks.   
  
Even if he's not too bright, Tsuzuki learned quickly that Tatsumi's biggest weakness was his tears.  
  
So we have no cases. Unfortunately, this means I'm bored as shit. With no actual cases Tsuzuki and I are stuck around an office with a worn-out air conditioning unit. I've read the same book eighty times already (I feel too lazy to get a new one), and these lack of cases had me worried.  
  
Sure, it's all fine and dandy not having cases for a few days. What about a whole month? You see my point?  
  
It's been a little over a month since I had that dream. This makes me feel even uneasier. Since Muraki created that dream to screw with my head, he would have to send it to me. And since he hasn't sent it to me, it obviously means he's not around to send it to me.  
  
Tsuzuki doesn't seem worried. Not that I want him to be worried. But I can tell that Tatsumi and Kachou are a bit anxious. Tatsumi hasn't made it obvious (I can only tell a tiny bit due to my empathy), but Kachou's been projecting like mad. But of course, in times of crisis's-that-are-on-the-rise-but-you-can't-detect-when-it-will-occur-so-you're-scared-shitless, you can't make it apparent to your employees.  
  
They don't have to tell me. I already know.  
  
And if there are any ups to being stuck in Meifu with no work, I sure as hell haven't seen any. This is quite obvious one day in the office. On this particular day I discovered that Tsuzuki and I weren't the only people with hardly any cases.  
  
"HISOKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" a pair of female voices shrieked behind me. I was reading the same damn book when they came up behind me. My instincts told me to throw down the book, get up, and run like hell. I was quick to comply.  
  
Unfortunately, the keepers of the voices had a better warm-up than I did. After running about ten feet, both were able to tackle me to the floor.  
  
"HISOKA!!!!!!"  
  
"We bought some pink lace ribbons for you!!"  
  
"Pink and white!!!"  
  
"Oh!! And we just ordered a Pink House dress to go with the ribbons!!!"  
  
Yuma and Saya. They lived (more or less) to make my afterlife a living hell. Not only were they more annoying than Tsuzuki, they seemed convinced that I:  
  
a.) was three years old.  
  
and b.) was a girl.  
  
And it didn't help the fact that the other inhabitants in the office not only didn't come to my aid, but also encouraged the two idiots to put the girly stuff in my hair.  
  
Sometimes I feel like I'm the most mature person here, and I died when I was sixteen!!!  
  
Luckily for me, Tatsumi came to my rescue my calling me into his office. He had to further his rescuing by bodily removing Yuma and Saya off of me.  
  
I didn't get away unscathed, however. Saya managed to tie one of the white lace ribbons very tightly in my hair. So tightly it was hurting my scalp. I followed Tatsumi into his office while trying to remove the damn thing from my head.  
  
Tatsumi sat down at his desk. "Have you seen Tsuzuki-san?"  
  
I nodded as I gave the ribbon a hard yank. This hurt my scalp more and made the knot tighter. "He was here in the morning, trying to mooch some money off of me so he could buy sweets. I gave in and he went out during lunch break."  
  
Tatsumi looked irritated, and I knew why. Lunch break ended fifteen minutes ago, and Tsuzuki wasn't back yet. As someone who was known for not only being lazy but also having long lunch breaks, we both could guess he was pigging out somewhere on a lot of desserts.  
  
"Well, I would've preferred to tell you both this, but..." he trailed off.  
  
I started feeling uneasy. "But what?"  
  
"Muraki is gone."  
  
The uneasy feeling grew. But I needed to know. "Is he dead?"  
  
Tatsumi shook his head, squashing any hope I had built up. "No, he is very much alive. And that's the problem."  
  
"Um, why?"  
  
"Because we have no idea where he is."  
  
My blood ran cold. Muraki...gone? And we couldn't track him?  
  
Tatsumi sorted through some papers on his desk. "I have no doubt that he's taken his business elsewhere. The problem is not only do we not know where, but that country's JuOhCho doesn't have a clue as to how to deal with him."  
  
I closed my eyes and let out a shaky sigh. I didn't know if I could deal with this. I never wanted anyone to go through what I, and all of Muraki's other victims, had to go through. But since Muraki was considered MIA, there was little doubt to how much destruction and despair he could cause.   
  
"Can I leave it up to you to tell Tsuzuki-san, Kurosaki-kun?" asked Tatsumi. I could sense he was feeling worried, though he was going a great job shielding it.  
  
I slowly nodded. "I don't know how he'll take to it, but if he freaks out I'll try to help him out."  
  
"Arigato, Kurosaki-kun."  
  
"Yeah, no problem." I gave the ribbon another hard yank and it finally came out. Unfortunately it took a few strands of hair with it.  
  
***  
  
It wasn't too hard to find Tsuzuki. I did have to go to Chijou, but luckily I found him coming out of a restaurant with a carrying box. When he spotted me, he looked both thrilled and panicked. I knew he was thinking Kachou sent me to fetch him for yet another lecture.  
  
"Hisoka! Um, hi!! Oh, this isn't what it looks like!! I DID go out to lunch, but the line was so long!! I knew Kachou would get angry, so I got him three slices of apple pie!!"  
  
See what I mean?  
  
I raised my hands. "I didn't come here to get you. I wanted to talk."  
  
His face brightened right back up. "Great!! Let's go sit somewhere!!" He hooked his arm in mine and dragged me to a bench. I was blushing dark red, and it didn't help with the stares and whispers we were getting.  
  
He sat down and dragged me down with him. I landed practically on his lap, which caused more stares and whispers. If he heard the whispers he was pretending not to.  
  
"Have some apple pie!!" he squealed, shoving a rather large piece into my mouth. It would've taste good for anyone other than me, since I didn't like sweets.  
  
I had the feeling he was trying to avoid the subject I was trying to bring up.  
  
"I hade do dell do sodeding," I choked out, trying to chew and swallow the pie without choking.  
  
"Oh, okay!! What is it?" I can tell his good mood was starting to slip. A sinking feeling crept over me, and I suddenly didn't want to tell him.  
  
Then don't tell him, you retard!! my idiot self-doubt told me. All the bad shit that's happened he believed to be his fault!! Why in the hell would you tell him that Muraki is out there, doing who-knows-what to people?! He might try to kill himself again!!  
  
What about the nightmare?! my self-reliance butted in. He didn't seem fazed by it!! And he was insulted that you didn't even call him!! He'll figure out about Muraki sooner or later anyhow!! And if you don't tell him he'll get pissed off and even more insulted!!! He'll feel like you don't trust him or even care about him!! And you obviously DO care about him!!  
  
I felt myself blush. Of course I cared about Tsuzuki. He was my partner and my first best friend. But sometimes I wondered how deep our friendship was...  
  
"Is something wrong, Hisoka?" Tsuzuki cut through my conflicting thoughts. Now he was feeling worried; not only for me but also for what I was about to tell him.  
  
I blushed harder as I realized I had been silent a good five minutes. I cleared my throat. "Tsuzuki, I'm afraid I have some bad news."  
  
He blinked. "Are you stopping our partnership?"  
  
"NO!!" I grabbed his hand without realizing it. "I would never due that."  
  
He looked very relieved, but I knew he said that as a diversion.   
  
"It's about Muraki."  
  
His relief vanished. Now he looked downright scared.  
  
I swallowed before continuing. "He's left Japan. And we don't know where he is."  
  
Tsuzuki was very silent for a long while. He ducked his head, and I was afraid he was going to cry. Any form of his tears affected Tatsumi, but his very sad tears affected me, too.  
  
Then he lifted his head. And he was wearing a smile.  
  
"Aw, don't worry Hisoka," he chirped. "We'll find him. We'll stop him from hurting anyone else."  
  
All of his shields were up, but you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to tell how distressed Tsuzuki was.  
  
I reached up and took his hand. "Tsuzuki-"  
  
"Don't worry, Hisoka. I'll be fine." He faked a yawn. "Well, I'm tired. I'm going to head back to the office and ask Tatsumi if I can go home early." Then he walked away.  
  
I wanted to stop him, but I couldn't move. I knew deep down that he needed comfort. Tsuzuki wasn't the type to initiate anything, but in this case it seemed like he wanted to. Meaning, if he wanted my comfort he would come to me for it.  
  
I didn't have to wait long. That same day he gave me a call. Well, it was night. Okay, it was three a.m.  
  
When I went to see him he immediately broke down and clung to me tightly. Due to years of detachment I'm not much of a comforter. Luckily Tsuzuki didn't really care.  
  
"We'll find him," I told him, echoing his very words. "We'll find him, and then we'll kill him."  
  
Tsuzuki sniffled. "Gomen. I know I should be a little stronger, but I don't want him to hurt anyone else..."  
  
I brushed the tears off his cheeks. "He will pay for everything he did." I couldn't promise him that we'd find him before he started his rampage. It would be cruel to even bring it up.  
  
Tsuzuki nodded. "I know. We'll take him down."  
  
"That's right."   
  
He sighed softly, but still clung to me. Not that I wanted him to let me go or anything.  
  
I blushed. Why was I thinking this way? Sure he was my best friend any everything. But I doubted that friends thought about each other this way.  
  
At the moment I didn't care. Tsuzuki wanted my comfort and he was getting it.  
  
***  
  
Things were hectic for the next few days. Everyone knew Muraki was missing. When we weren't trying to find clues to his whereabouts, we were trying to keep our sanity. Yuma and Saya with their hideous Pink House dresses didn't help the situation any.  
  
After a few days, Kachou called Tsuzuki and I into his office. As we went there we heard some people from other departments talking.  
  
"Is he new?"  
  
"No, he's from another division!!"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"I don't know!!"  
  
Who was 'he'? I wondered as we made out way to Kachou's office. I didn't have to wonder for long.  
  
Kachou and Tatsumi were in there with someone I didn't recognize. He was Japanese, though.  
  
"Tsuzuki, Kurosaki-kun," said Kachou. "This is Aaron Tomoe. He's a Japanese American from America's JuOhCho."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. America's JuOhCho? I eyed the guy as he turned in his seat to look at us. He looked about my age!  
  
"Why is he here?" I asked Kachou.  
  
Tatsumi fixed his glasses. "Tomoe-san said a series of murders have been occurring in his district, America's New York State. America's JuOhCho has looked into Japan's JuOhCho's files, and they have come to the conclusion that Muraki committed these murders."  
  
There you have it!! A cliffhanger!! What'd you think? Drop in a review, but please be nice if it's a flame. 


	3. Chapter 2

Thank you Prudence-chan for reminding me about Watari. I don't know why I haven't put him in yet, but he's in this chapter.   
  
Chapter 2  
  
Muraki in America? Well that's just fucking great.  
  
"Are they absolutely positive that Muraki committed the murders?" asked Tsuzuki.  
  
Aaron stood up and faced us. "We had an eyewitness who told the police that he saw a pale-skinned light-haired Japanese man murder one of our victims. The police didn't pursue it because they didn't believe his story. I guess none of them had ever seen a light-haired Japanese man."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. I wasn't surprised to see Aaron speaking Japanese fluently. He was Japanese after all.   
  
Tsuzuki seemed floored by it.  
  
"The witnessed was then murdered himself and my partner Bethany and I picked him up. He spilled his story to us. Our boss Miss Jackson had her assistant Shane look up profiles of cases in Japan, and that's when we found out about your Mr. Kazutaka Muraki."  
  
"What has been done about Muraki?" I asked.  
  
"The authorities don't believe the story," said Aaron. "Meaning he's running loose killing people and our hands are tied."  
  
I swallowed. Muraki loved to cause trouble.  
  
"Um, why did they send you here to tell us?" asked Tsuzuki. "They could've sent a fax."  
  
"Because I'm the only one in my division that can speak Japanese," stated Aaron.  
  
Kachou coughed. "Tsuzuki, Kurosaki-kun."  
  
"Hai?" Tsuzuki and I said at the same time.  
  
"We want to send you both to America and assist their JuOhCho."  
  
My jaw dropped. They're sending us to America?!  
  
I came from a grossly wealthy family so I managed to learn some English at an early age and be able to read most of it. And from what Tsuzuki told me his English sucked more than mine did.  
  
Kachou and Tatsumi must be out of their minds.  
  
Tatsumi seemed to have read my mind. "You two are the most familiar with Muraki's patterns of killing. Nobody in America does. They'll need your direction in order to bring him down."  
  
"But neither of us speak English fluently!!" I said. "I can only speak and read a little, and Tsuzuki can barely speak it!!"  
  
"I'll be an interpreter for you," said Aaron.  
  
"You'll be leaving in two days," said Kachou. "Try to get some lessons from Watari in the meantime."  
  
My eyes bulged. Watari knew English?!  
  
***  
  
Like I said, I'm completely surrounded by idiots.  
  
Aaron seemed to stick to us like glue. Then again, since we would be working for him for-who-knew-how-long, it was probably better if he did.  
  
We did go to see Watari. That's why I said idiots surrounded me.  
  
Aaron didn't seem convinced by Watari due to his looks. He walked right up to Watari and spoke in fluent English. I could barely understand what he said, making my stomach sink.  
  
Watari responded in English eagerly. Aaron raised an eyebrow before turning to us.  
  
"You won't get much help from him," he stated.  
  
"Why not?" I asked.  
  
"I asked him in English how the weather fared here in Japan."  
  
"What did he say?" asked Tsuzuki.  
  
"'I get bloated when I'm pregnant'."  
  
Tsuzuki burst out laughing. I didn't see how it was funny, but then again I don't think many things are funny.  
  
"You can rely on me!!" declared Watari, not knowing what we were talking about. He said something else in English, which caused Aaron to snicker.  
  
"What now?" I asked, feeling a headache settle in.  
  
"'I think I'm a girl'."  
  
Like I said. Everyone is an idiot.  
  
***  
  
Despite Watari's pleads, we opted to learn some quick English from Aaron. He was definitely more reliable, as Watari translated 'the cat is in the tree' to 'it's going to rain today'.  
  
On the day we were to head to America, Tsuzuki started crying his eyes out. As did all the girls.  
  
"Come back soon!!" cried Wakaba.   
  
"Don't ever come back!!" Terazuma yelled to Tsuzuki.  
  
"We'll have more ribbons for you when you get back!!" cried Yuma and Saya.  
  
Watari was also there to greet us. "I'll be your link here!!"  
  
I was puzzled before Aaron told us, "you send him any reports and he'll get them to your boss."  
  
"I'm gonna miss this place!!" wailed Tsuzuki.  
  
I felt a sudden urge to hit him, but didn't. "It's not like we won't ever see this place again, Tsuzuki."  
  
"I know, but it feels like we are!!"  
  
I rolled my eyes. Inwardly I was going to miss this place, but I wasn't about to ball my eyes out over it.  
  
Tatsumi came up to us. "Give us a call when you get there. Send any updates to Watari, but if it's an emergency call us."  
  
I nodded to this. We had a low budget in our office, and the last thing Tatsumi wanted was to have horrible phone bills.  
  
Tsuzuki suddenly clung to Tatsumi, causing him to blush and my eyes to bulge. I'd never seen Tatsumi blush.  
  
At the same time a strange feeling overcame me. It was making me feel angry and overprotective of Tsuzuki.  
  
"I'm gonna miss everyone!!" wailed Tsuzuki.  
  
Tatsumi patted him on the head. "You'll be back soon. But you have to get going."  
  
I didn't know why, but my anger was growing. I didn't like how Tsuzuki was clinging to him and how Tatsumi was letting him.   
  
"We need to go," I ground out, still wondering about my anger.  
  
Tsuzuki let him go. "Okay. Let's go."  
  
Tatsumi seemed surprised about my sudden anger. "Good luck, both of you."  
  
***  
  
Getting to America's JuOhCho was harder than I thought. Turns out we actually had to be in America to get to it. So we had to go to Chijou, and hop on a plane going to America.  
  
We were in coach, of course. Tatsumi always got on our cases about spending, and first-class tickets were too much.  
  
"Where are we headed?" I asked Aaron.  
  
Aaron shrugged. "I think Oregon. But that doesn't matter. We just need to teleport to my division and we're set."  
  
I nodded and settled back. Tsuzuki was jumping all over the place, getting on the flight attendant's nerves. He had never been inside a plane, as we didn't need planes to get to places in Japan. He was having a ball. I'd never been inside a plane either, but I wasn't as hyperactive.  
  
"You were jealous," said Aaron.  
  
I shot him a look. Tsuzuki was out of earshot as he was getting lectured by a flight attendant who was trying to be angry but was also ogling at him. That was making me angry, too. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"When he hugged Mr. Tatsumi. You were jealous."  
  
"Why the hell would I be jealous?!" I demanded.  
  
Aaron shrugged. "Probably because you like him."  
  
I turned several shades of red. "I do not like him!!"  
  
"Could've fooled me."  
  
"What, are you a psychic all of a sudden?!"  
  
"I don't have to be with that murderous glare you were giving Mr. Tatsumi."  
  
"I was not-" I cut off and turned even redder. I had been glaring at Tatsumi like I wanted to tear off his head.  
  
Jealous. It would explain what I felt. I had felt that feeling when we were protecting Minase Hijiri. I didn't like him getting close to Tsuzuki, and I didn't like Tatsumi getting close to Tsuzuki.  
  
Once again, my cursed self-doubt bared its fangs.  
  
Who are you to be jealous of Tatsumi-san?! it growled at me. He certainly treats Tsuzuki a hell of a lot better than you do!! And it's not like you're in a relationship or anything!! You're just partners and best friends!! And don't think otherwise because Tsuzuki is too insecure to ever admit to feeling more for you!!  
  
I REALLY wanted to shoot that voice.  
  
"Something wrong?" asked Aaron.  
  
I closed my eyes and let out heavy sigh. "I'm not jealous."  
  
Aaron scoffed. "Whatever you say."  
  
Tsuzuki finally came over and sat down. I was glad he did so I wouldn't have to discuss the subject with Aaron.  
  
Then again, with my own conflicting emotions, I really didn't want him near me.  
  
"So how old are you, Aaron?" asked Tsuzuki.  
  
"I'll be twenty-nine this year," he said bluntly.  
  
Tsuzuki's jaw dropped. I stepped in before Tsuzuki could say something stupid.  
  
"You mean you're twenty-nine by age?" I asked.  
  
Aaron nodded.  
  
"I think Tsuzuki meant what your age was when you died?"  
  
"Oh. In that case, I was twenty-one."  
  
This time my jaw dropped. Twenty-one?! I was sure he was my age!! He certainly looked my age!  
  
"I had a growing disorder," explained Aaron. "Because of it, I look younger than I actually am. I almost didn't get into college because I look sixteen."  
  
I took this all in. Tsuzuki once again seemed fascinated by it and asked more questions. Aaron answered as much as he could, though he didn't explain the circumstances of his death at first until Tsuzuki talked him into it.  
  
"I was walking home on my college campus. I had evening classes so it was dark. When I crossed the street a speeding sports car ran me over. The driver was drunk, stopped and backed up to see what it was he had run over and in the process he ran me over again. When he realized he had run me over twice he sped off, running me over a third time. A half hour later someone found me, but I was already dead."  
  
I knew why he was so hesitant to tell us the circumstances of his death.  
  
We talked about odd things until the plane landed. Once we landed Aaron was quick to lead us to America's JuOhCho.  
  
"We need to get there so I can report," he explained.  
  
I nodded to this. "Let's go." 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
To say that America's Meifu was big is the biggest understatement of the century. The place is fucking huge!!!  
  
I couldn't help but gape at the very large building in front of us. Tsuzuki seemed as shocked as I was. Well, I wasn't surprised. So many states, including the nation's capital, its no wonder the place is so huge!!  
  
Aaron seemed amused by our shock. "We must be going. Stay close to me, it's easy to get lost here."  
  
His voice broke through our shock. Then again, he hadn't said much since he had explained the circumstances of his death.  
  
"As a warning," he told us. "No one in my division speaks fluent Japanese. I know I taught you both some, but I'll interpret for you if you need it."  
  
We both nodded. I don't know about Tsuzuki, but I was prepared. Like I said before I had prior teaching to English, and Aaron's lessons for us helped to improve on it. As we passed the many people in this JuOhCho, I could faintly understand what some of them were saying. Practically everyone was talking about Tsuzuki and me.  
  
"Wow, who are they?"  
  
"They look Japanese."  
  
"The tall one is so cute!! Do you think he'll take me out if I ask him?"  
  
"Nah, there's that girl next to him."  
  
"Aw, dammit. Wait, that's just a teenager!!"  
  
I felt my face burn and my anger growing. It was bad enough they wanted Tsuzuki, but they thought I was a GIRL!! That's worse than being called a kid!!  
  
Aaron glanced at me. "You can understand them, I take it?"  
  
"I suddenly wish I'd never learned English," I grumbled, rubbing my face.  
  
Tsuzuki looked confused. "What? What's wrong?"  
  
Yep, his English still sucked.   
  
After walking for about ten minutes, Aaron stopped in front of a door. "Here it is. The New York Department."  
  
I breathed out a sigh of relief. Behind us a rather large crowd of women had gathered, every one of them eying Tsuzuki. I muttered a curse as we followed Aaron, resisting the urge to hurt them.  
  
When I got a good look at the New York Department, I was surprised. It was very small!! And it looked much nicer than our department back in Japan. For one thing, the floors were carpeted. And every desk had a computer on it.  
  
Aaron looked around the slightly empty room. Only one person was actually in there. A woman with short blonde hair who sat in the far corner. She looked up when we had entered, and then had gone back to what she had been doing.  
  
Suddenly, one of the doors swung open. "Aaron!! You're back!!"  
  
I yelled in surprise and jumped out of the way as a girl launched herself at Aaron, tackling him to the floor. Immediately this girl reminded me of Yuma and Saya.  
  
That made me feel scared.  
  
Aaron gently pushed her off him. "Bethany, please calm down."  
  
"But I'm on Cloud 9!! You were gone for a week, and my gig has been rough!! All these murders have rattled my cage, and Miss Jackson's frosted!! You dig, right?!"  
  
I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. I knew this as I eyed her current attire. Her light brown hair was short and in a perm, she wore a sleeveless pale blue shirt with a shawl collar, a white swing skirt with rose patterns on it, and little black ballet slippers with tiny white socks.  
  
"Yeah, I dig." Aaron stood up and helped her up. "Bethany, I brought two representatives from Japan with me to give us assistance."  
  
Bethany turned to us, and I'm sure she just realized we were there. She straightened and bowed very low. "Uh, Konnichi-wa, minna-san. I'm-I-I'm mean, Bethany Myers, desu."  
  
I raised an eyebrow. She wasn't fluent, that was for sure.  
  
Aaron stood next to her. "This is my partner, Bethany Myers. Um, don't mind her. She died in the 1950s and hasn't given up on that era."  
  
Oh, THAT explained a lot.  
  
Bethany straightened again. "Okay, I'm on the stick. Introduce me to them, Aaron."  
  
"Okay." He pointed to Tsuzuki. "This is Tsu-I mean, this is Asato Tsuzuki."  
  
Bethany grinned at Tsuzuki. "Well hello there, Big Daddy. You a big tickle kind of guy?"  
  
Tsuzuki seemed as confused by this girl as I was. "Uh, what did she say?"  
  
Aaron translated everything she said. Now he looked even more confused. "I don't know what she's talking about!"  
  
"That's a good thing," I hissed to him.  
  
Aaron then pointed at me. "This is Hisoka Kurosaki."  
  
Bethany looked me over without saying a word. Then she turned to Aaron and whispered something to him. I heard it though.  
  
"He's an ankle-biter, isn't he?"  
  
"I don't know!" Aaron hissed back.  
  
An ankle-biter?! Okay, that definitely didn't sound right.   
  
Aaron must've sensed that I was quickly growing angry. "Daijobu, Hisoka-san?" he asked in Japanese.  
  
"Gee, what do you think?!" I snapped. "I don't appreciate being called an ankle-biter!!"  
  
He nodded before turning to Bethany. "He took it as an insult."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry!!" said Bethany, grabbing my hands in a vice-like grip.   
  
Suddenly all these flashes entered my mind. They were unpleasant and I didn't like it. I heard overlapping voices in my ears.  
  
Leave me alone!!  
  
Hold her down!!  
  
Stop it!! Let me go!!  
  
I quickly yanked my hands away before I could see more. I didn't know what had been going on, and I didn't want to know.  
  
Okay, focus, I told myself. She called you an ankle-biter.  
  
"I didn't know you didn't like being called a child!!"  
  
What? A child?!  
  
"Ankle-biter is slang for 'child'," Aaron explained to us. "But of course you knew that, right? After all, you took offense to it."  
  
I turned red. Now I felt really stupid. I didn't like being called a child, but that wasn't what I thought an ankle-biter meant.  
  
Tsuzuki stared at me. "Why are you blushing, Hisoka? What did you think it meant?!"  
  
"Can you take us to your boss?!" I asked Aaron, trying to get off the subject.  
  
"Hold on!!" cried Bethany. "You didn't meet Jamie!!"  
  
"Just go," said the blonde hair girl, her voice neutral.  
  
"That's Jamie Calkins," said Aaron in Japanese. "She's a little anti-social."  
  
"Oh, don't worry!!" said Tsuzuki. "Hisoka's like that a lot, so-OOF!!!!"  
  
I elbowed him hard in the stomach. "Please take us to your boss."  
  
***  
  
When we were taken to Aaron's boss's office, a large man whose blonde hair that was in a buzz cut greeted us. Not to mention he looked uncomfortable in the suit he was wearing. Definitely an army type.  
  
"Shane," said Aaron. "This is Asato Tsuzuki and Hisoka Kurosaki of Japan. They have come to help us in this case." Aaron turned to us. "This is Shane Kavanah, Miss Jackson's accountant."  
  
"You mean secretary," said Tsuzuki.  
  
"Don't say that in English around him. Even in this modern age he considers being called a secretary is too feminine."  
  
Shane eyed us. "Were either of you living during the 1960s?"  
  
"I died in 1996," I told him. I motioned to Tsuzuki. "He died in 1926."  
  
Shane shook his head. "Good. Go on in." he motioned to a door.  
  
"Why did he ask that?" I hissed to Aaron.  
  
"I don't usually go into private things, but he seemed adamant about telling us about it," said Aaron. "He worked at a drafting office during the Vietnam War. It wasn't his idea of a great job, but he was assigned there. Needless to say, he was jumped by war protesters on his way out of work and was beaten to death. Not only did no one help him, but also the one of the guys he worked with had been walking out with him bolted for the doors they had come out of, and locked it. The asshole didn't even bother calling the cops until AFTER he was dead, in which he waited 2 hours after the protesters left. Shane's not really friendly with people who look about your age who lived during the 1960s. He was lucky, though."  
  
"How so?" asked Tsuzuki.  
  
"The police caught every single one of those people, and all of them were convicted of first degree murder, though apparently most of them just wanted to beat him up. Since there were nine of them, it's pretty rare to catch the whole group like that."  
  
Inwardly I felt sorry for him. I was pretty pissed by how I died, but I'd be VERY pissed if something like that happened to me and an able-bodied person was too chicken shit to even lift a finger to help me.  
  
Aaron opened the door. "Miss Jackson? I've come back."  
  
"All right, come in," said a woman from within the room.  
  
I knew that the Kachou of the New York division was a woman, but it was still surprising to see her.   
  
The first thing I thought was how tall she was. Then my eyes fell to the thick high heels she wore. As she approached us she towered over me and almost over Tsuzuki.  
  
Her hair was light brown and worn in a pageboy. Glasses framed her face and hung on the tip of her nose. She wore a light gray suit, which clashed with her high heels. She could be considered pretty, if not plain.  
  
"These are the ones from Japan?" she asked Aaron, eying Tsuzuki and me over her glasses.  
  
"Um, yes ma'am," squeaked Aaron and I glanced at him. He seemed intimidated by her.  
  
"Well, tell them to introduce themselves."  
  
"I'm Hisoka Kurosaki," I said in English. "This is Asato Tsuzuki."  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "O-kay. I'm Lea Jackson. I'd ask that you call me Miss Jackson, but I'm not your boss so call me what you want." She went over to her desk and sat down. "I didn't expect you to come back today."  
  
"But Miss Jackson," said Aaron. "We had a fax sent over to you saying when we would be back."  
  
"What? A fax? Oh yes, that one." She shook her head. "Aaron, you should know that I don't comply with nonsense."  
  
"Ma'am?"   
  
"For starters, the fax ended up jamming my fax machine. It was written in red crayon in bad English. I couldn't understand it, so I threw it out. It was signed by some guy...Wat-something."  
  
I sighed heavily. Watari was smart, but red crayon?!  
  
Aaron translated what she said to Tsuzuki. He started laughing, but tried to look stern when he saw my glare.  
  
Lea shrugged. "Well, what matters is that you're here now. So tell me, what are we up against?"  
  
Aaron translated to Tsuzuki. I was about to speak when Tsuzuki spoke.  
  
"Muraki is a psychopath," said Tsuzuki. Aaron translated to Lea.  
  
"I gathered that much. He has managed to kill fourteen people in New York in a short amount of time without being caught."  
  
Aaron translated to Tsuzuki. I wanted to step in so things would be easier, but Tsuzuki seemed intent on explaining. "He can use magic. And because he's a doctor he can cover his tracks very quickly."  
  
While Aaron translated, I remained silent. Somehow I wanted to hear what Tsuzuki thought of Muraki.  
  
"He has no regard for human life. He has a screwed-up idea of quickly killing those he hates and torturing those he has interest in. We both have been witness to such."  
  
I shuddered slightly. I knew all too well what Tsuzuki was talking about. Just thinking about it took me back to that night Muraki captured me when I was thirteen...  
  
"So in other words," said Lea. "He's a fucked-up individual who needs to die very soon?"  
  
"Yes," I said before Aaron could translate.   
  
Lea shrugged again and stood. "There you go. Aaron, since you and Bethany picked up one of Muraki's victims, I want you both to give assistance to Mr. Kurosaki and Mr. Tsuzuki."  
  
Oh goody. Now I have to be around a girl who's stuck in the past and has a personality remotely similar to Yuma and Saya.  
  
"Yes, ma'am," said Aaron. He turned to us. "Let's go."  
  
We filed out of the room. I turned to Tsuzuki. "You okay?"  
  
He quickly nodded. "I feel a bit in the dark here. And I didn't feel comfortable talking about Muraki."  
  
"I could've-"  
  
"I'll be fine, Hisoka." I could tell he wanted to change the subject as he turned to Aaron. "So, um, did they catch that guy that hit you?"  
  
"Yeah," said Aaron. "He was charged with vehicular manslaughter and driving with intoxicated. The only bad thing was the defense managed to get a reduced sentence of five years. When he did the time he was released and he had a party, got drunk again, and drove right into a tree. Now he's mentally disabled."  
  
"You get what you get," I told him.  
  
"Yeah, I guess. But like I said, Shane and I are a few of the lucky ones."  
  
"Why?" asked Tsuzuki.  
  
"Because our killers were caught and brought to justice. Many of the others' killers got away with it or committed suicide. And for someone like us, that's not exactly justice."  
  
"Don't I know it," I muttered, thinking again of the many horrible things I wanted to do to Muraki.  
  
"Well, we have to focus in on what's at hand. Muraki is on some freak rampage and we must stop him. You're help is greatly appreciated, as you know what we're dealing with."  
  
"Thanks," said Tsuzuki. He glanced at his watch. "Oh, we gotta send a fax to Tatsumi to tell him our progress!!"  
  
"I'll show you where it is," said Aaron, leading the way.  
  
I sighed, letting Tsuzuki drag me along.  
  
Tomorrow, we started the manhunt. And this time Muraki was not going to slip away from us  
  
Okay, this was like a filler chapter, but it took me a while to develop on the Shinigami in New York and I wanted to introduce them. Next chapter, the manhunt starts!! Oh, and for those who didn't understand Bethany's slang, here's the translation brought to you by http://www.fiftiesweb.com/fifties.htm  
  
Cloud 9-really happy  
  
Gig-work, job  
  
Rattled your cage-get upset  
  
Frosted-angry  
  
Dig-to understand  
  
On the stick-pulled together, bright, prepared  
  
Big Daddy-an older person  
  
Big tickle-really funny  
  
Ankle-biter-a child 


	5. Chapter 4

After a year hiatus on this story, I'm ready to resume it. I'm sorry for putting it of as I wanted to completely finish my Gravitation fanfic 'Too Far to Reach'. But I'm picking it back up with this chapter. And I'm sorry if the style for the story is different, but this site keeps changing chapters set up and I can't use stars as scene dividers anymore. Well, it's not a big deal.

Chapter 4

"Are you sure you want to write it?" I asked Tsuzuki as we stood near the fax machine. I had to admire how well-funded they were; they had a state-of-the-art fax machine while we still had a standard one.

"Yes," said Tsuzuki, writing quickly on a sheet of paper. "It's nothing too special anyways; just how we got here and how we were brought up to speed about Muraki. Aha!" He held up the paper. "Finished!"

"All right," said Aaron, taking the sheet from him. He placed it in the fax and pressed several buttons. After a minute or so it was sent through.

"Now that that's finished," said Aaron. "How 'bout we get a bite to eat?"

"I'm fine with starting on the case," I replied, not wanting to waste any time.

"Aww, Hisoka!!" complained Tsuzuki, pulling on my sleeve. "I'm huuungry!!"

"Well I'm not, so we should—"

My stomach giving a loud growl cut me off. After a moment's pause both Aaron and Tsuzuki burst out laughing. I glared at both of them, but I couldn't deny the fact that I was hungry. I hadn't even eaten anything that day!!

"All right, all right," I snapped, giving in against my will. "But this won't be some friendly outing. We're still gonna work on the case, okay?"

Aaron put up his arms defensively. "Of course. C'mon, let's go get Bethany."

I stopped in my tracks. "You're inviting HER?!"

"Well, she IS my partner. Plus she's holding onto the case file."

I grumbled, following Aaron and Tsuzuki. It was enough putting up with Yuma and Saya in Japan, but I didn't know how long I would be able to stand a hyperactive American girl who was stuck in the 1950s era with style and lifestyle before I strangled her.

When we entered the main office area, Bethany was sitting close to Jamie, talking to her about something. Jamie was typing at her computer, seemingly ignoring her.

"Bethany, let's go," said Aaron. "We're going out to eat and talk about the case. You got the case file with you, right?"

Bethany turned in her spinning chair, giving Aaron an apologetic look. "Oh, you're gonna cut out? Don't flip, but I left it back at my pad."

"All right," said Aaron. "Then let's swing by your place on the way to the restaurant."

"Righto." Bethany jumped to her feet and turned to Jamie. "I'm gonna split, you dig?"

"Sure," said Jamie, still looking at the computer screen and typing.

Then Bethany did something that shocked me; she leaned down and planted a kiss on top of Jamie's head! My jaw dropped and I glanced at Aaron. Aaron acted like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Time to cut out!!" declared Bethany, leading the way out of the office. We were quick to follow.

"Um," said Tsuzuki, looking puzzled. But his limit English couldn't really help him blurt out his question.

Bethany glanced at Tsuzuki. "What is it?"

"Jamie," I stated.

Bethany grinned happily. "Let's just say that I'm real gone."

I didn't understand her. "So you have a relationship with her?" I didn't know why I was asking these questions since I wasn't that interested. But Tsuzuki's puzzling expression said he wanted to know.

"Well, we're not circled if that's what you're asking."

"Um—"

"Are you writing a book?" she teased. "Let's stop by my pad!!" she hurried on ahead of us.

Tsuzuki looked at me. "What did she say?"

"The hell if I know," I muttered.

Aaron snorted. "Let's just say they've had a steady relationship for fifteen years."

Tsuzuki and I gaped at him.

"Well, let's catch up to her."

* * *

Of course, once we got back to Bethany's "pad", she insisted on changing into another outfit. So there we were, sitting in her living room waiting for her.

The whole apartment looked like the setting of a fifties documentary. Never have I ever seen so much Elvis Presley memorabilia; salt and pepper shakers, a clock, everything!! Tsuzuki and I were sitting on a traditional fifties couch in front of a fifties looking colored television. And her fifties jukebox was playing a variety of fifties classics. The current song, 'Tutti Frutti' was for some reason making me irritated.

"I'm sorry," said Aaron. "She always gets excited about outings and dresses up for them."

"It's all right!" said Tsuzuki. "Well Hisoka, at least she's not forcing you into one of her outfits!"

"Don't mention it around her or she might," I snapped.

Aaron pretended to scrutinize me. "Well, you're as slim as Bethany and about the same height. I'm sure the dresses would fit you."

Tsuzuki burst out laughing.

"Might I remind you we're here to get Muraki, not get me into a fucking dress!!" I roared, jumping to my feet.

"I'm doooone!!" came Bethany's yell as she hurried back into the room. Her hair was still set in its perm, but now she wore a swing skirt decorated in sunflowers, white gloves with a penny purse and white spiked heels. "Am I dolly?"

"Yeah," said Aaron. "Do you have the case?"

Bethany held up a file in her free hand.

"All right, let's go," I said as a song called 'That'll be the day' played on Bethany's jukebox.

* * *

"Here's what the victims look like," said Aaron, handing us some photos of mangled bodies. "It seems like he's spree killing since there's no connection between any of the victims, except for the latest victim who happened to be a witness."

I cringed as I looked at the photos. I suddenly lost my appetite. Judging from Tsuzuki's equally disgusted expression; I could tell he wasn't very hungry.

Bethany however, completely oblivious to the change in atmosphere, was flipping through the menu. "I think I'll have a garden salad! I have to keep my classy chassis!!"

I don't know if she realized it, but her old-school slang and outfit was getting a lot of stares. More so than Tsuzuki was getting.

I looked at Tsuzuki then, seeing how pale he was. Whenever Muraki killed someone he took all of the blame into himself. Now he no longer looked cheerful and it was starting to get to me. I reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

"Did you see the dessert menu?" I said, removing the photos from his line of vision. "All kinds of your favorites. How about you choose whatever you want; my treat."

Tsuzuki glanced at me, the light coming back into his eyes. "Really?"

"Yep. Tatsumi limits us to 3,000 yen meals, but I've saved up some money. Order whatever you like."

"WAI!!!!!" Tsuzuki threw his arms around me in a tight embrace before turning to the menu. "Well then, I'll have this and this and this and this and this!!! Ooh, and definitely this!!"

I mentally calculated all this. Since 3,000 yen was an equivalent of 27 American dollars and Tsuzuki was asking for over fifty dollars worth of desserts, which equaled to almost 6,000 yen.

Hey, I was the one who offered. Luckily I converted some of my money before coming to America.

Both Aaron and Bethany were giving me these knowing smiles that were annoying the hell out of me. I grumbled to myself and started reading the context of the case. "So, the last case of death was near the Adirondack Mountains?"

"Yeah," said Aaron, disguising his knowing smile behind his menu. "That's where we picked up our victim/witness."

Bethany giggled at me. "Tsuzuki and you are jacketed, aren't you?"

Aaron choked on his water. Though I didn't have much of a clue about her slang, I had something of an idea of what she meant.

"I'm going to the bathroom," I grumbled, jumping to my feet. "If the waiter stops in, tell him I want a steak or something."

Tsuzuki looked at me, surprised. "Steak? Hisoka, you aren't usually as heavy of an eater."

"People who eat a lot are usually emotional," snickered Aaron.

I hurried to the bathroom before I lost my temper and decked him. I ran to the sink and ran the water. I splashed some icy water onto my face, trying to ignore the thoughts running through my head.

Why is everyone so insisting that I like Tsuzuki? I thought angrily. Sure, I do like him, but everyone seems to think I LIKE like him!!

Well, it would explain why you were jealous of Tatsumi and those women gawking at him, said another voice. Not that you don't have good reason; he is very handsome and wears a smile for everyone even when he's upset. He brought you out of your shell when you didn't trust anyone and it's because of him that you were able to make so many friends. And you in turn saved him when all he wanted to do was die. Pretty fair match, don't you think?

I punched the sink. I don't like him like that!!! He's just a friend, nothing more!! And I'm pretty sure he feels the same way!! I—

I wasn't able to finish my thought. I was suddenly struck by a horrible headache. I saw black patches in my vision. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched my head.

That's when I saw it. A wooded area. A middle-aged woman lay bloodied, her blank eyes staring up at the sky, her tears mixing with the blood on her face…

Someone was standing over her, wiping a knife. A bile rose in my throat as I saw Muraki's satisfied expression as he surveyed the murder he had just committed.

Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the vision and the headache were gone. When I opened my eyes I was laying on my back in the men's room. I had blacked out…but for how long?

I quickly jumped to my feet and ran from the bathroom. My visions were usually always correct. And I knew that Muraki had killed again.

I reached the table. The food had been brought out and set upon the table, a clear indication that I had been out for a while.

"Just in time," said Aaron, pointing to my large steak. "I got yours medium rare—"

"Muraki's killed again!!" I hissed.

They all froze. Tsuzuki dropped his fork which had a healthy helping of lemon pie.

"Is he here?" Aaron hissed back, looking cautious around.

"No, I saw him killing someone in a wooded area. It was a woman and it looks like he stabbed her to death."

"Do you usually have visions of Muraki?"

"Usually I see a vision if the person we're looking for is close by. But this time…it's strange. I saw him committing a murder elsewhere."

"Wooded area…can you give me any other details?"

"Um…I saw a mountain range of trees beyond the trees around them."

Aaron stood up. "He's at the Adirondack Mountains. Let's go. Maybe we can get him."

Tsuzuki stood up. "Yeah…let's go."

Bethany looked at all of us, confused. We had been speaking in Japanese so she didn't know what was going on. "Are you guys going?"

"We'll be right back," promised Aaron. "Keep an eye on the food, okay?"

Bethany nodded. "I dig."

We hurried from the restaurant. With any luck, we would catch Muraki before long.

Here are more translations of Bethany's words, courtesy of

cut out—leave  
flip—get excited  
pad—house  
righto—okay  
split—leave  
real gone—very much in love  
circled—married  
Are you writing a book?—You're asking too many questions  
dolly—cute girl  
classy chassis—great body  
jacketed—going out 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It took us no time to get up to the Adirondack Mountains. Unfortunately, once we got up there the police were already there and they had blocked off the entire area.

"Shit," cursed Aaron. "Looks like we missed him."

"No," I said. "He's still around here somewhere. I can feel him."

"Should we look?" asked Tsuzuki uncertainly.

"Our best bet is to split up and search around while we're invisible," suggested Aaron. "Let's start at the crime scene and work our way from there."

Since we didn't really have a clue where the crime scene was, we ending up hiking invisible behind the policemen towards the crime scene. It wasn't too long before we reached it. The woman was covered with a blanket. I shuddered as I was forced to remember seeing what she looked like as she died. I was glad Tsuzuki hadn't seen it.

Though seeing the woman in general didn't help matters.

Tsuzuki turned so he didn't have to look at her. "We came up from down there. I think we should each take the other directions."

"Good idea," said Aaron, looking at the woman with pity on his face. "I'll look northward. Tsuzuki, you take the west and Hisoka you take the east."

I eyed the two of them, wondering if they both could keep it together. "Are you two all right?"

"…Yes," said Tsuzuki. "I'll be all right."

"Don't mind me," said Aaron, waving a hand. "I'm use to these situations. Seeing her lying there like that reminded me of my death. Even after I was found my body had to lay there for a while before they could move me."

I nodded. "Well, let's take your strategy. If any of you run into trouble, give a yell okay?"

Both nodded and we all set off in our separate directions. The smell of fresh pine was starting to get to me, especially given the current situation. I was edgy enough as it was. But I kept my eyes and empathy clear to see if I could detect Muraki.

It was a while before I could sense him really close by. Since Aaron and Tsuzuki didn't yell or something, I knew they were all right.

I didn't know about me, though.

I had walked enough that I was near the edge of a cliff. Not that I worried about the height or the jagged rocks and lake that rested below. Being a Shinigami had its benefits; along with my ability to regenerate, I could fly as well. Though I practiced some caution whilst walking along the cliff's edge, not so much as I might have had I been alive.

It was only after walking on my path for about ten minutes did I realize just how much my luck sucked.

I felt a whoosh of air next to me and I heard a chillingly familiar voice say, "Bouya."

Next thing I know, I'm hit with an energy blast. One that wouldn't hurt me physically, but strong enough to knock me off the cliff.

I hate it when I jinx myself.

I recovered myself and stopped myself in mid air, twenty feet above the jagged rocks. Though the fall wouldn't kill me, I wasn't exactly crazy about getting crushed by jagged rocks. Who knew how long it would take me to heal.

"Muraki!!!" I yelled, flying back up to where I was knocked off. Muraki made his presence known. A mixture of intense hatred and fear coursed through me; I hated the fact I had this fear of him. Damn him for raping and murdering me.

"I'm surprised to see you here," said Muraki calmly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "I never would've guessed you would follow me."

"What the hell are you up to?!" I yelled, levitating myself in the air, keeping a reasonable distance from Muraki.

"Just having a little fun," he said sadistically. "I'm such a busy doctor; I have the right to have fun, don't I?"

"Murdering people isn't a game, you sick fuck!!! And I'm sure you aren't killing people for the hell of it!!!!"

"What if I told you I was?"

"You—"

"You should've taken the dream I sent you seriously. Although…" a weird smile spread across his face. "Since you're here, it means Tsuzuki-san is also here. How sweet to be able to see him after so long."

"If you touch him again I'll kill you!!!" I shrieked, my newfound protectiveness of Tsuzuki surfacing.

"As if you could kill me." Muraki's smiled melded into an evil smirk. "I never would've thought you would be possessive of him. It looks like Meifu really _is _a small world…if the one you love most is another man."

My entire face turned red and my teeth gritted in fury. First the American Shinigami, now Muraki!! What was with everyone, thinking I had those kind of feelings for Tsuzuki?!

It was then I felt a whoosh on either side of me. Tsuzuki and Aaron had no doubt heard the commotion and teleported to this location.

"Holy shit," said Aaron. "He really does have light hair! I've never seen that in any other Japanese person!!"

"Be impressed later!!" I growled.

"Muraki!!" Tsuzuki yelled.

"Long time no see, Tsuzuki-san," said Muraki, feigning sincerity. Or was he? "I knew you would come eventually."

Tsuzuki froze next to me and my hatred erupted. No, not this. Not after everything we went through to save him. Muraki was trying to drag him down into insanity again by laying on the guilt…

I grabbed Tsuzuki's arm. "Don't you listen to him!! He's not doing this because of you!! He's doing it for the hell of it!!"

Tsuzuki let out a shaky sigh, trying to pull himself together.

"While I enjoy chatting with you," said Muraki. "I'm afraid I'm short on time. If you'll excuse me, I have to get going."

"You're not going anywhere!!!" I shrieked. I glanced at Tsuzuki. "Hurry!! Summon Suzaku or one of your other Shikigami!!!"

Tsuzuki looked extremely stressed out. He obviously wasn't up for summoning a Shikigami at the moment.

"Goodbye," said Muraki, and he teleported away.

"Wait!!" yelled Aaron, flying down to where Muraki had been. "Shit!! Miss Jackson's gonna have my ass!!"

"Tsuzuki," I said, trying very hard not to get angry. It was expected that he'd be uncomfortable around Muraki.

But we just let him get away. One of our few chances to nab him and we failed.

* * *

"You guys need to cool it," said Bethany. "Everyone's gets a goof every now and then."

I'm glad Tsuzuki didn't understand English well. I'm pretty certain that he didn't need her encouragement.

It was hours later and (unfortunately) we were back at Bethany's apartment. On the jukebox there was quite a strange song, "Tequila".

From the other room I could hear faint yelling and I winced. Aaron had called Lea to let her know what happened today; judging from the yelling I could tell she didn't take it too well.

"I had the restaurant bag up your food," continued Bethany. She went over a smoothed a hand over a framed signed poster of Elvis Presley. "It's in my fridge in case you get hungry."

I doubt Tsuzuki had much of an appetite for the desserts. But I translated what she said to him anyways. He just gave a slight nod and continued staring off into space.

Aaron came back into the room, looking tense and rubbing his ear. "Well, Miss Jackson's officially docked my pay."

"I'm sorry," said Tsuzuki.

Aaron shook his head. "Believe me, I got off light!! She told me that if you two were under her employ she'd fire you!! But since you're not, she expects you to write a report of what happened and fax it to your boss."

"I'll take care of it," said Tsuzuki before I could respond. "It's my fault Muraki slipped away; I have to take responsibility."

"I share the blame as much as you do," I snapped, angry that he was trying to take the whole blame as usual. "I was standing there too. I could've caught him!!"

Tsuzuki sighed, not responding to me.

Bethany had been watching our exchange (which had been in Japanese) with a blank look on her face. She stretched and stood up.

"I'm gonna pile up Z's," she said, yawning widely. "You three are nodding as it is."

Aaron rolled his eyes and stood. "Yeah, I'm exhausted. And tomorrow's gonna be a long day; Miss Jackson wants to expand on the yelling lecture she gave me on the phone." He turned to us, switching to Japanese. "You two can crash at my place; it's spacious and I'm sure you might not be comfortable here."

"Yeah," I said as the jukebox switched to a song called 'Bye Bye Love'. The song gave me a weird vibe.

"I have to warn you; we're going to have to be in early. I don't want to get on Miss Jackson's bad side any further than I already am."

"Don't let Miss Jackson rattle your cage," said Bethany. "I mean, she's such a cube!! And have you seen her threads?!"

"I'm tired," I interrupted. "Let's get going."

* * *

"Kazutaka Muraki was last seen in this area," said Lea, pointing with her laser pointer at the large map of New York on the white screen. It was four o'clock the next morning and we were packed into the conferencing room. All the Shinigami were there. And with the exception of Lea, everyone (including Shane) was ready to fall asleep.

I drained my tenth cup of coffee, wondering how New York's Shinigami could put up with this. I mean, neither Kachou nor Tatsumi would put us through this (though I'm fairly certain Tatsumi was the type of person who got up at such ungodly hours). But I had to pay attention; not just because it was my job but because I needed to translate for Tsuzuki.

Unfortunately Tsuzuki was nodding off, probably not catching a word I was translating to him

"Miss Jackson, cast an eyeball at the clock!!" complained Bethany. I had the unfortunate burden of sitting next to her. The smell of her hairspray was overpowering and I felt ready to hurl. "It's four in the morning!! I don't dig this!!"

Lea sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She reminded me much of Tatsumi. But considering Tatsumi had a high tolerance for whining (what with being a former partner of Tsuzuki's), and I could hear her screaming at Aaron over the phone, I could tell she had very little patience.

"Don't tell me how to do my job, Bethany!!" she barked. "If you feel you have such a problem with my methods, then you can quit and get out of my section!!"

Bethany looked teary-eyed and exhausted at the same time. But she said no more. Lea took this as a cue to continue.

"Right, before I was rudely interrupted I was talking about Muraki's last location. Aaron?"

Aaron hesitantly stood up. "His latest victim was in that area. At the moment we can't think of an M.O. But yes, he was last seen there. He's probably still in that area, though—"

"I'm sure our jobs would've been made easier if he wasn't," said Lea, sighing heavily. "Don't make that mistake again!!"

Aaron nodded. "Yes, Miss Jackson."

I thought that would be the end of it. But Lea continued to drone on and on about the case. The lack of energy in the room made it all the more difficult to pay attention. I stopped translating because Tsuzuki had completely fallen asleep.

It was then that it happened. Unbeknownst to me, Bethany was nodding off in the chair next to me. It wasn't until she fell against me did I realize she was asleep.

A burst of vision filled my mind, along with loud voices. It was much like when she had grabbed my hands yesterday, but much worse.

_Help!! Somebody help me!! _

_Where ya running to? _

_Let me go right now!!_

I saw a flash of many faces, each wearing horrible expression. Fists lashed out and punched. Feet lashed out and kicked. Palms flashed out and slapped. It was too unbearable.

_Stop it!!! _

_Hey, hold still baby!!! _

_No!! Leave me alone!!_

Why isn't anyone helping her?! I wondered, trying to make sense of the scene. But the clearer the images became, the more it made sense.

I didn't want to see this.

Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Hisoka!!!"

My eyes snapped open. I was lying on the floor of the conference room. My throat felt raw; a clear indication I had screamed.

"Are you okay?" asked Tsuzuki, now awake. He looked frightened, but not so much as Bethany did.

"What did you did?!" demanded Shane.

"I-I-I don't know!!" cried Bethany. "I-I was nodding and the next thing I know he's screaming!!"

Tsuzuki helped me into a sitting position. "Was it your empathy?"

Bethany froze.

"My, my," said Lea, looking unfazed at the situation. "An empathic Shinigami. Is there anything else I need to know before we continue?"

Tsuzuki helped me back into my seat. Bethany was suddenly very edgy around me. I had a feeling the visions I saw were things I shouldn't have seen. Not that it was my fault.

"Considering Miss Myers was nodding off and Mr. Kurosaki had a freak-out fest, I think it's best I conclude the meeting," said Lea, gathering her papers. "Aaron, Bethany, I'm assigning Jamie to give you assistance in helping the Japanese Shinigami. I hope there are no objections?"

None were voiced.

"All right. This meeting is adjourned."

Bethany got up quickly and left the room. Aaron quickly came over to me. "Did you see some of her thoughts?"

"I might've," I said, forcing myself to my feet. Being tired and seeing unpleasant visions was taking its toll on me.

Aaron looked nervous. "Um…you didn't perchance see her death, did you?"

I was surprised. Those horrible visions were her death? "I dunno."

"She didn't exactly have a pleasant death. She's extremely sensitive about it and doesn't like people knowing about it."

I sighed heavily. I didn't need a lecture about such a thing. I'm not exactly about to go around telling everyone I meet I was raped and cursed to suffer for three years before I died. "I understand. Shall we continue with the case?"

"Yeah. I'll go get Bethany and we can all head out." He left the room, leaving us with Jamie.

"Um…" said Tsuzuki. His bad English didn't really help. But he managed. "Good morning, Jamie-san!!"

Jamie scoffed, looking at her watch. "I can't believe I'm stuck on this case with you idiots."

* * *

More translations:

cool it—relax, settle down

goof—someone who makes mistakes

pile up Z's—get some sleep

nod—drift off to sleep

cube—regular person

threads—clothing

cast an eyeball—to look


End file.
